Thank you, Mr. President, Excellencies, members of the Security Council, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to begin by conveying the regrets of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Confederation of Sahel States due to scheduling constraints. I therefore have the distinct honor of delivering this statement. On their behalf, I would like to commend the leadership of His Excellency President Julius Madar Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone and President of the Security Council who initiated this debate on revitalizing regional cooperation in the fight against terrorism in West Africa and the Sahel. And I take note of the contributions from the Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres and Dr. Omar Ali Ture, ECOWAS Commission President. Ladies and gentlemen, this meeting is of great importance for the member states of the AES Confederation, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Indeed, for more than a decade, West Africa in general and the Sahel in particular have been confronted with terrorism imposed and supported by foreign state sponsors. Our peoples, including women and children, are murdered in cowardly fashion, subjected to unspeakable violence or forced into displacement, exile or simply deprived of essential public services. This abhorrent violence spares neither schools nor health centers. And since they can no longer withstand the efforts of our courageous defense and security forces, criminal groups have resorted to economic terrorism, attacking civilian infrastructure and supply routes to put an end to this organized transnational crime and in order to create conditions for sustainable development for the people of the Sahel. Their Excellencies, Captain Ibrahim Traore, President of Burkina Faso, General Assimi Goita, President of the transition in Mali and Head of State, and General Abdorrahmani Tiani, President of the Republic of Niger, Head of State, have exercised their sovereign right to take their destinies into their own hands by establishing the AES Confederation in order to pool their efforts in the area of defense, diplomacy and development. Thus, in the field of defense, the defense and security forces of the Confederation of Sahel States fight together bravely and tirelessly against criminal and extremist organizations. And here I would like to pay special tribute to our joint forces, confederal forces for the sacrifices that they make on a daily basis to keep our territories secure as well as our peoples and our property secure. However, I must emphasize that the fight against terrorism must remain a regional and diverse international effort, especially given the expansion of the terrorist threat in West Africa and beyond. We are therefore fully open to cooperation with countries of the region and with all partners who of course wish to engage with us in full respect of the sovereignty of our states as well as with our strategic choices, our choice of partners and the interests of our peoples. Regarding regional initiatives for coordinating the fight against terrorism, it is essential to rebuild trust among West African stakeholders. It is particularly important for states in the region of West Africa to share a common understanding of the terrorist threat and of the appropriate responses to be provided. In order to achieve this, we require an approach different from the one that we've known so far, marked by hostile, external, inferior interference, illegal, unjust and inhumane sanctions, and even threats of military intervention in a sovereign state. The new approach must prioritize constructive dialogue among regional actors. This is a prerequisite for any initiative aimed at cooperation and regional coordination in the fight against terrorism, particularly in the area of intelligence sharing with respect to international cooperation, the role of the Security Council, the Secretary-General and other dedicated United Nations mechanisms remains crucial. However, the approach must be reviewed and adapted. Reports, meetings, resolutions and declarations are certainly useful, but they're not sufficient in the face of the terrorist threat. What we need are concrete, rapid and tailored responses adapted to the realities of each specific situation. Mali experienced an unsuccessful mission with the United Nations presence on its territory MINUSMA, whose doctrine, mandate and rules were not suited to the security needs of the host country. International cooperation is therefore essential in combating the financing of terrorism, including the payment of ransoms in exchange for the release of hostages. It is also necessary for mobilizing resources to assist populations affected by terrorism, including refugees and internally displaced persons. In this regard, I am particularly concerned by the extremely insufficient level of humanitarian aid mobilized for the Sahel, barely 14% of humanitarian needs. And I must denounce the daily media terrorism inflicted on our states by a certain militant, vindictive and nostalgically hegemonic press outlets. It is regrettable that such media have chosen to be apologists for terrorism and to serve as vehicles for terrorist propaganda in our countries and in our region. In conclusion, I would like to pay tribute here to all victims of terrorism, Sahelian and foreign, civilian and military, with a special thought for my compatriot Mariam Sisse, murdered this month by cowardly terrorist hordes. I salute the admirable resilience of the Sahelian populations who continue to confront these hardships with courage. And I reaffirm the unwavering determination of the member states of the AES Confederation to combat terrorism and violent extremism within our shared space. I thank you.


I thank the representative of Mali for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Senegal. Thank you, Madam President. Senegal would like to thank the Sierra Leonean presidency for dedicating its signature event to the topic of consolidating peace in West Africa, specifically to combating terrorism and violent extremism which have made our region their epicenter. I welcome therefore the briefings made by Mr. Simao, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, West Africa and Sahel, and Mr. Ture, President of the ECOWAS Commission and Mr. Alexander Zoev. There is no need to revisit the particular nature of terrorism in West Africa or dwell on its links to persistent challenges such as poverty, climate change, rule of law, food insecurity or the situation of women and youth who continue to pay a heavy price despite numerous efforts and commitments made by our states and regional organizations, as well as recent progress in the Tri-border area. Despite this, terrorism remains a serious threat to national, regional and continental security and stability. It is in this regard that Senegal reaffirms its solidarity with the brotherly countries of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger which are on the front lines of this war against terrorism. To achieve our shared ambition of eradicating this scourge and addressing its root causes, we must prioritize a comprehensive and multidimensional approach based on solidarity and on pooling of our resources. And with this perspective in mind, my delegation would like to share the first, the urgency of international action to contain and eradicate the terrorist threat. It is our shared responsibility and the unique competence of the Security Council to support affected countries in their legitimate aspiration to restore peace, security, stability, development and sustainable democratic governance in their countries. It's important to support that this may be done in a concerted manner based on their needs and aspirations and guided by the spirit of African solutions to African problems. Second, I'd like to underscore the importance of acting decisively on the underlying structural causes and factors that foster and continue to fuel the spread of terrorism and violent extremism in the region. Thirdly, there needs to be support for regional and sub-regional initiatives to address threats to peace and security and obstacles to development on the continent. Here, we must assess the adaptability of regional tools and reflect on correcting the shortcomings in our alert and response mechanisms. We also need to underscore that it's imperative for greater effectiveness to have a greater synergy among national and regional strategies and improved coordination and streamlining of initiatives. Fourth point, the financing frameworks for peace support operations created by Resolution 2719 should be leveraged to design and implement tailored programs to support the Sahel region countries. Fifthly, and finally, strengthening cohesion within the region remains another strategic challenge to better address the complexity of a situation that requires synergy of action and renewed political commitment to jointly tackle political security and development challenges. It is therefore essential to support sub-regional efforts to overcome divisions and bring us all together around a common anti-terrorism structure strategy built on the achievement of integration. Madam President, in conclusion, Senegal notes with concern the decline in international solidarity, the disintegration of multilateralism and the liquidity crisis, which considerably reduce the effectiveness and the scope of international response to the humanitarian crisis in the region. In line with the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel, it is urgent to support humanitarian efforts for countries in the region and to intensify the mobilization of predictable adequate and sustainable financial and material resources to back peace initiatives in the region. My delegation recalls that the protection of civilians is a moral obligation and a legal imperative from which the international community cannot under any circumstances exempt itself. Senegal reaffirms its commitment to act alongside all of its partners to consolidate our joint efforts towards a West Africa which is integrated and free from the terrorist threat. I thank you for your attention, Madam President.


I now give the floor to the representative of Burkina Faso.


Thank you, Madam President, Excellencies, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone and President for the month of the Security Council. Excellencies, members of the Council. Madam President, I thank you for including us in this briefing devoted to peace building in West Africa and to the fight against terrorism in our region. And I would also like to express thanks for the briefings from the President of the Council, the Secretary-General and the President of the ECOWAS Commission. Burkina Faso aligns itself with the statement delivered by the Republic of Mali on behalf of the Confederation of Sahel States and wishes to make a few remarks in our national capacity. Madam President, thanks to the joint efforts of the State of Burkina Faso, the AES and our partners, significant results have been achieved. The retaking of vast portions of our territory, the return of more than 1 million of our displaced compatriots, and the progressive reopening of schools, health centers and essential infrastructure. Our approach beyond military action is based on combining emergency response with recovery efforts. Two structural frameworks have guided this action since 2023. The National Humanitarian Response Plan, which addresses the needs of nearly 6 million vulnerable people in 2025, and the National Strategy for Recovery and Durable Solutions, which aims at the return and resettlement in dignity. These tools are already producing tangible results and must be strengthened with the continued support of our partners. Madam President, the fight against terrorism cannot be won without coherent, predictable international support that is free from domestic political considerations. We therefore call for renewed multilateral engagement to sustainably finance the elimination of the root causes of terrorism. Poverty, lack of public services, territorial marginalization, under-investment in infrastructure and agriculture, as well as the lack of opportunities for young people. Multilateral financial institutions must fully play their role. We urge them to support the countries of the Sahel based on their real needs and not on short-term political considerations. This is essential for building peace and for regional stability. Madam President, terrorism in the Sahel, as we know, thrives with the support of its international and state sponsors. It also feeds on transnational networks involved in arms trafficking, money laundering and various forms of organized crime. An integrated regional and international response based on solidarity and strategic coherence is therefore indispensable. Burkina Faso would like to thank the sanctions committees for their work and encourages them to strengthen their efforts so that no state or non-state actor can serve as a support base for financing terrorism. Burkina Faso remains fully willing to work with all its partners in respect of its sovereign choices in the service of the security and sustainable development of our peoples. I thank you.


I thank the representative of Burkina Faso for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Ghana.


Mr. President, Ghana congratulates Sierra Leone on her assumption of the Presidency of the Security Council for the month of November. We thank you for convening this all-important meeting and our thanks also go to President Madar Bio, the Chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, as well as Secretary-General Guterres and the ECOWAS Commission President for their very insightful briefing. The consolidation of peace in West Africa in recent times has become one of the many challenges faced by our multilateral system. Accordingly, the timing of this debate could not have been more appropriate. West Africa and the Sahel are facing unprecedented security threats from extremist groups including the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, JNIM, Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province. These groups have taken advantage of weak governance, power vacuums and porous borders, among others, to undermine existing structures of governance, oppress and destabilize communities, displace civilian populations and create economic disruptions. Additionally, food insecurity, which is a direct consequence of climate pressures, is driving a significant human toll in the region. The situation demands a coordinated and multifaceted approach, blending security measures with governance reforms and economic development to mitigate the complex threats facing the region. Ghana has consistently joined in the multilateral work against the rise in terrorism in our region. Our concern is not merely born out of geographical ties, but entrenched in historical geopolitical bonds and the common quest for sustainable peace and development in the region. Ghana, in close partnership with ECOWAS, is actively engaged in promoting a platform for dialogue to address the security threats facing the region, including its coastal states. The appointment of a special envoy to the AES by President Mohammad of Ghana with the mandate to engage the countries in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism demonstrates how seriously Ghana views this threat in our region. Today's debate symbolizes the ongoing multilateral efforts in combating terrorism and achieving sustainable peace in West Africa, which is crucial to the achievement of this Council's Charter obligations. Peace in West Africa is an assurance of the safety and security of about 430 million people, of which 50% are women and children and a youthful population with a median age of 18. Victory over terrorism and extremism is a safeguard to free movement of persons, goods and services across the region and the enjoyment of fundamental human rights not only among the citizens of the affected region, but across the wide African continent and the globe. In conclusion, Mr. President, Ghana commends the diligent and joint work of the United Nations and the African Union Peace and Security Council to address violent extremism in Africa. We also applaud the unwavering role of ECOWAS in spearheading this daunting but crucial task in our sub-region. Ghana maintains that the way forward is to foster dialogue between ECOWAS and AES in order to rebuild trust and chart a meaningful and practical path towards the restoration and consolidation of peace. This is a fight that ECOWAS and the sub-region cannot take on alone. The support of the international community is vitally important in that regard. Ghana renews her pledge and commitment to working closely with the rest of the international community towards dealing with this menace. Peace consolidation is not merely the absence of war. It is the presence of justice, opportunity, equity and dignity. The world must not lose the momentum in the fight for peace in West Africa and the Sahel because instability in the Sahel is instability elsewhere. The time for a more unified, coherent approach is now.


And coordinated approach to the issue at Harness.


Now let us continue to work towards a safe and peaceful West Africa where peace will no longer be an ambition, but a daily reality for all. I thank you.


I thank the representative of Ghana for the statement.


There are no more names inscribed in the list of speakers. The meeting is adjourned.